Wall patch systems and methods

ABSTRACT

A patch system for patching a hole in a wall surface. The system comprises an original plate member, a surface sheet, and adhesive material. At least one scored line is formed on the original plate member. The original plate member may be broken along the at least one scored line to obtain a plurality of sub-plate members. The sub-plate members are smaller than the original plate member. The surface sheet defines first and second surfaces. The adhesive material secures the original plate member or one of the sub-plate members to the first surface of the surface sheet. The adhesive material further secures at least a portion of the first surface of the surface sheet to the wall surface such that the rigid plate and the surface sheet are held in a desired position relative to the hole.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to systems and methods for patching holesin walls and, more specifically, to wall patch systems and methods thatfacilitate the repair of holes of various sizes in drywall material.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The walls of building structures typically comprise a structural frameto which is attached two non-structural wall surfaces. Exterior wallstypically comprise insulation, an exterior wall surface, and an interiorwall surface. Interior walls typically comprise two interior wallsurfaces.

The present invention may have broad application to a large number ofsurfaces, including certain types of exterior wall surfaces, but is ofparticular significance when applied to interior wall surfaces of abuilding structure. The present invention will thus be described hereinin the context of repairing drywall material forming an interior wallsurface, although the scope of the present invention shall be determinedwith reference to claims appended hereto and not the following detaileddescription of the invention.

Interior wall surfaces are typically formed by drywall material. Drywallmaterial is a cementitious material having desirable fire resistanceproperties but which is relatively susceptible to damage from moistureand/or external forces. In addition, holes may be formed in drywallmaterial to perform repair or maintenance of mechanical systems such asplumbing or electrical wiring within the wall. Whether formed byaccident or on purpose, holes in drywall material are often patched.

Conventionally, a drywall patch comprises a structural portion that isattached to the drywall material around the hole and which bridges overthe hole. A finish portion if the drywall is applied over the structuralportion so that the drywall patch substantially matches the unrepaireddrywall material surrounding the hole.

The need exists for improved drywall patch systems and methods that arerelatively simple and easy to manufacture and distribute and which givethe user substantial flexibility in use with minimum waste of materials.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention may be embodied as a patch system for patching ahole in a wall surface or a method using such a patch system. The patchsystem comprises an original plate member, a surface sheet, and adhesivematerial. At least one scored line is formed on the original platemember. The original plate member may be broken along the at least onescored line to obtain a plurality of sub-plate members. The sub-platemembers are smaller than the original plate member. The surface sheetdefines first and second surfaces. The adhesive material secures theoriginal plate member or one of the sub-plate members to the firstsurface of the surface sheet. The adhesive material further secures atleast a portion of the first surface of the surface sheet to the wallsurface such that the rigid plate and the surface sheet are held in adesired position relative to the hole.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded, perspective view of a wall patch system of thepresent invention being used to cover a hole in a wall;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view depicting a plate member of the wall patchsystem of FIG. 1, where scored lines are formed on the plate member;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the plate member of FIG. 2 being brokenalong a scored line into two separate plate members;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view depicting the two separate plate membersresulting after the step depicted in FIG. 3 is performed;

FIG. 4A is a perspective view depicting two separate plate membersresulting after the plate member depicted in FIG. 4 is broken along ascored line;

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate the step of forming a plate assemblyincorporating the plate member of FIGS. 2-4 and a mesh sheet;

FIG. 7 illustrates the step of securing the plate assembly of FIG. 6over to the wall over the hole; and

FIG. 8 illustrates the step of covering the plate assembly with drywallmud and a finish coat.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring initially to FIG. 1 of the drawing, depicted at 20 therein isa wall patch system constructed in accordance with, and embodying, theprinciples of the present invention. The wall patch system 20 is shownin the drawing covering a hole 22 formed in a section of drywall 24. Thehole 22 may be purposely formed or may be formed by accident. In anyevent, the hole 22 should be repaired aesthetic and possibly functionalreasons.

The drywall 24 is conventionally formed by drywall material that hasbeen mudded and taped at the seams, primed, and coated with finish coatof texture material and/or paint. The drywall 24 is conventional andwill be described herein only to the extent necessary for a completeunderstanding of the present invention.

The wall patch system 20 comprises a plate member 30 and a mesh sheetassembly 32. The plate member 30 can be made of any relatively rigidsheet material such as metal or plastic. Shown in FIG. 1 is an exampleplate member 30 a made of a metal such as aluminum or steel andcomprising a scored portion 34.

FIGS. 2-3 further illustrate that the plate member 30 a may be formedfrom a larger plate member 30 comprising a plurality of scored portions34 a and 34 b in the form of straight lines. Part of the materialforming the plate member 30 is stamped, cut, or otherwise worked at thescored portions to create a weakened portion of the plate member 30. Theexample scored portions 34 a and 34 b divide the plate member into aplurality of plate portions 36 a, 36 b, 36 c, and 36 d.

The larger plate member 30 may be used intact to cover a hole 22 ofrelatively large dimensions. In this case, the scored portions 34 a and34 b are not used; these scored portions 34 a and 34 b do not affect theability of the plate member 30 to function as the primary structuralportion of a wall patch.

However, the scored portions 34 allow the larger plate member 30 to beseparated by hand along either of the scored portions 34 a and 34 b intoa plurality of intermediate-sized plate members such as the platemembers 30 a and 30 b shown in FIG. 4. In particular, the user simplygrasps the plate member 30 on either side of the desired score portion,in this case the scored portion 34 a, and bends the plate member one ormore times along the scored portion 34 a until the plate member 30breaks into the smaller plate members 30 a and 30 b. The plate portions30 a and 30 b comprise score portions 34 c and 34 d, respectively.

As will be described in detail below, at least one of the intermediateplate members 30 a and 30 b may be sized and dimensioned to fit thedimensions of the hole 22 without excessive overlap beyond the edges ofthe hole 22. In this case, the plate members 30 a and/or 30 b may beused as shown in FIG. 4 to patch a hole 22 of appropriate dimensions.

If, however, the plate members 30 a and 30 b excessively overlap beyondthe edges of the hole 22, either of these smaller plate members 30 a or30 b may be broken along the score portions 34 c and 34 d into evensmaller plate members 30 c and 30 d as shown in FIG. 4A. As an example,FIG. 4A depicts the situation in which the intermediate-sized platemember 30 a is broken along the scored portion 34 c to obtain the platemembers 30 c and 30 d. In the example wall patch system 20, the scoredportion 34 c is located such that plate portion 36 a is larger than theplate portion 36 c, resulting in the plate member 30 c being bigger thanthe plate member 30 d.

The formation of the original scored portions 34 a and 34 b on theoriginal plate member 30 thus provides the user with significantflexibility in providing a plate member 30, 30 a, 30 b, 30 c, or 30 d ofappropriate size to efficiently cover holes 22 of a large range ofsizes.

The process of covering the hole using a plate member 30 of anappropriate size will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 5.FIGS. 1 and 5 illustrate the mesh sheet assembly 32 comprises a mesh orsurface sheet 40 and a release paper 42. The mesh sheet 40 comprises amesh layer 50 and an adhesive layer 52. The mesh layer 50 is formed by amatrix of material defining openings or indentations that allow drywallmud or the like to grip the mesh layer 50 as will be described infurther detail below. Typically, the mesh layer 50 is formed by anon-woven grid of bonded glass fibers, but other materials andconfigurations can be used to form the mesh layer 50. For example, themesh layer 50 can be formed of metal, polymers, or other materialsconfigured to form the desired openings or indentations by perforations,weaving, or the like.

The adhesive layer 52 may take the form of a solid layer of material towhich the mesh layer 50 is attached. Alternatively, the adhesive layer52 may be formed by spraying adhesive material in wet form onto the meshlayer 50 and allowing the adhesive material to dry in the form of anadhesive coating on one side of the mesh layer 50, in which case theadhesive layer 52 will not be solid. In the example mesh sheet 40, theadhesive layer 52 is sprayed onto the grid of glass fibers forming themesh layer 50. The adhesive layer 52 should be formulated to bondsecurely both to the mesh layer and to drywall material, whether thedrywall material is bare or coated with a finish coat.

The release paper 42 is formed of a material having at least one surfacedesigned to stick to the adhesive layer 52 during transportation andstorage during transportation and storage but which allows the releasepaper 42 to be peeled away from the adhesive layer 52 immediately priorto use. The release paper 52 prevents the adhesive layer 52 frominadvertently sticking to packaging materials and the plate member 30prior to use. The release paper 52 also protects the adhesive layer 52from contamination prior to use and during cutting of the mesh sheet 40as will be described below.

Referring now again for a moment to FIG. 1, it can be seen that the hole22 defines a hole surface area 60, a first hole perimeter area 62, and asecond hole perimeter area 64. The example hole surface area 60 is anirregular closed shape defined by the actual surface area of the wall 24removed to form the hole 22. The example first hole perimeter area 62 isa rectangular shape that surrounds the hole surface area 60. The examplesecond hole perimeter area 64 is also a rectangular shape that surroundsthe first hole perimeter area 62. As shown by broken lines in FIGS. 1and 5, the plate member 30 is sized and dimensioned to match the firsthole perimeter area 62, while the mesh sheet 40 is sized and dimensionedto match the second hole perimeter area.

The process of using the wall patch system 20 will now be described infurther detail. First, the dimensions of the first hole perimeter area62 are determined based on the dimensions of the hole 22. The first holeperimeter area 62 should be slightly larger than the hole surface area60 so that the plate member 30 a has firm support around the entire hole22. The exact dimensions of the first hole perimeter area 62 relative tothe hole surface area 60 but can very depending upon the particularcircumstances. For example, a larger hole may require more overlap ofthe plate member 30 a with the wall 24 around the hole 22. Thedimensions of the first hole perimeter area 62 should also be determinedbased on the sizes of the plate portions 36, both individually and addedtogether.

Once the dimensions of the first hole perimeter area 62 are determined,the plate member 30 may be separated into at least one piececorresponding to the dimensions of the first hole perimeter area if theoriginal plate member 30 is too large. In the example system 20, thedimensions of the first hole perimeter area 62 substantially match thearea of the combined plate portions 36 a and 36 c. Accordingly, theplate member is bent along the scored portion 34 a as shown in FIG. 3 toform the smaller plate members 30 a and 30 b shown in FIG. 4. The platemember 30 a comprises the plate portions 36 a and 36 c and thus hassubstantially the same cross-sectional area as the first hole perimeterarea 62.

Next, the dimensions of the second hole perimeter area 64 aredetermined. The dimensions of the second hole perimeter area 64 aredetermined based on the size of the first hole perimeter area 62. Inparticular, the mesh sheet 40 is cut to a size slightly larger than thatof the plate member 30 a. Again, the exact dimensions of the mesh sheet40 are not critical. However, enough overlap should exist between themesh sheet 40 and the wall 24 beyond the plate member 30 a that theadhesive layer 52 securely holds the plate member 30 a and the meshlayer 50 in place over the hole 22. A grid or design may be imprinted onthe release paper 42 to facilitate the cutting of mesh sheet 40 to theappropriate size. As mentioned above, the mesh sheet 40 should be cut aspart of the mesh sheet assembly 32 (with the release paper 42 attached),but the mesh sheet 42 may be cut with the release paper 42 removed.

After mesh sheet 40 is trimmed to the proper size as described above,the release paper 42 is removed (if not already removed). The platemember 30 a is then brought into contact with the adhesive layer 52 suchthat the plate member 30 a is attached to a central portion of the meshsheet as shown in FIG. 6 to form a patch assembly 70.

Then, as shown in FIG. 7, the patch assembly 70 is then brought intocontact with the wall 24 such that the plate member 30 a covers the hole22, with a portion of the plate member 30 a preferably overlapping withthe wall 24 around the entire hole 22. In this configuration, theadhesive layer 52 comes into contact with the wall 24 around the platemember 30 a to hold the patch assembly 70 in place over the hole 22.

At this point, the hole 22 is patched. However, as shown in the close upof FIG. 8, drywall mud 80 is preferably placed over the patch assembly70. While wet, the drywall mud 80 is feathered beyond the edges of themesh sheet 40 and worked into the indentations formed by the mesh sheet.When the drywall mud 80 dries, the drywall mud 80 mechanically engagesthe holes and/or indentations formed by the mesh sheet 40 to hold thedried drywall mud in place. The drywall mud 80 is then typically sanded.

As shown in FIG. 8, a finish layer 90 is then typically formed over thedried drywall mud 80. The finish layer 90 typically comprises a layer ofprimer and paint and may also comprise conventional texture material ifnecessary to match a texture of the wall 22 surrounding the patchassembly 70.

1. A patch system for patching a hole in a wall surface, comprising: anoriginal plate member on which is formed at least one scored line, wherethe original plate member may be broken along the at least one scoredline to obtain a plurality of sub-plate members, and the sub-platemembers are smaller than the original plate member; a surface sheetdefining first and second surfaces; and adhesive material for securingthe original plate member or one of the sub-plate members to the firstsurface of the surface sheet, and at least a portion of the firstsurface of the surface sheet to the wall surface such that the rigidplate and the surface sheet are held in a desired position relative tothe hole.
 2. A patch system as recited in claim 1, in which a pluralityof scored lines are formed on the original plate member, where theplurality of plate members allow the original plate member to be brokeninto more than two sub-plate members.
 3. A patch system as recited inclaim 1, in which the adhesive material is applied to the first surfaceof the surface sheet.
 4. A patch system as recited in claim 3, furthercomprising a release sheet, where the adhesive material detachablyattaches the release sheet to the first surface of the surface sheet 5.A patch system as recited in claim 4, in which the release sheet isremoved before the original plate member or one of the sub-plate membersis attached to the first surface of the surface sheet.
 6. A patch systemas recited in claim 1, further comprising a finish coat applied to atleast the second surface of the surface sheet.
 7. A patch system asrecited in claim 6, where the finish coat comprises drywall mud.
 8. Apatch system as recited in claim 7, where the finish coat furthercomprises a finish layer.
 9. A patch system as recited in claim 8, wherethe finish layer further comprises at least one coating selected fromthe group consisting of primer material, texture material, and paintmaterial.
 10. A patch system as recited in claim 1, in which the surfacesheet is formed of mesh material.
 11. A patch system as recited in claim6, in which the surface sheet is formed of mesh material, where the meshsheet is configured to engage the finish coat to secure at least aportion of the finish coat relative to the wall surface.
 12. A method ofpatching a hole in a wall surface, comprising the steps of: providing anoriginal plate member; scoring the original plate member to form atleast one scored line on the original plate member; breaking theoriginal plate member along the at least one scored line to obtain aplurality of sub-plate members, where the sub-plate members are smallerthan the original plate member; providing a surface sheet defining firstand second surfaces; and securing the original plate member or one ofthe sub-plate members to the first surface of the surface sheet, andsecuring at least a portion of the first surface of the surface sheet tothe wall surface such that the rigid plate and the surface sheet areheld in a desired position relative to the hole.
 13. A method as recitedin claim 12, in which the step of scoring the original plate membercomprises the step of forming a plurality of scored lines on theoriginal plate member, where the plurality of plate members allow theoriginal plate member to be broken into more than two sub-plate members.14. A method as recited in claim 12, further comprising the step ofapplying the adhesive material to the first surface of the surfacesheet.
 15. A method as recited in claim 14, further comprising the stepsof: providing a release sheet; and detachably attaching the releasesheet to the first surface of the surface sheet using the adhesivematerial.
 16. A method as recited in claim 15, further comprising thestep of removing the release sheet before the step of attaching theoriginal plate member or one of the sub-plate members to the firstsurface of the surface sheet.
 17. A method as recited in claim 12,further comprising the step of applying a finish coat at least thesecond surface of the surface sheet.
 18. A method as recited in claim17, in which the step of applying the finish coat comprises the step ofapplying drywall mud to the second surface of the surface sheet.
 19. Amethod as recited in claim 18, in which the step of applying the finishcoat comprises the step of applying a finish layer.
 20. A method asrecited in claim 19, in which the step of applying the finish layercomprises the step of applying at least one coating selected from thegroup of coatings consisting of primer material, texture material, andpaint material.
 21. A method as recited in claim 12, in which thesurface sheet is formed of mesh material.
 22. A method as recited inclaim 17, further comprising the step of forming the surface sheet ofmesh material, where the mesh sheet is configured to engage the finishcoat to secure at least a portion of the finish coat relative to thewall surface.